Harvesting-machine.



No.742,256. PATENTED 0012?,1903. J. F. STEWARD.

HARVESTING MACHINE. APPLICATION I'iLBD MAR. 25, 1903. no MODEL.

UNITED STATES l atented October 27, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. STEWARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER COMPANY, A CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY.

To all whom it may concern: Q I

HARVESTING-MACHINE.

SPEGIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 742,256, dated October 27, 1903.

Application filed llllarch 25, 1903.

Be it known that I, J OHN F. STEWAED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illi-.

nois, have invented'a new and useful Im provement in Harvesting-ll/lachineaof which the following is a complete specification.

This invention relates to the mechanism in harvesting-machines by which the raising and loweringof the main frame on the main supporting-wheel is efiected, and more specifically to the novel arrangement of certain parts of the said raising and lowering device with the drive-chain tightener.

This invention has for its obj ect the construction of a chain-tightening device which will automatically preserve a definite position relative to the line of centers of the crossshaft and main wheel, and thus keep the driving-chain of a uniform tightness at what ever heightthe frame isadjusted.

In'the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevationof that'portion of a harvester-frame withj'which my improvement isconnected; Fig. 2 is a view as indicated by the line 2 2 in Fig. 1, showing in front elevation the portion of the cross-shaft on which is mounted inyimprovement. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of same as shown by the line 3 3 in Fig; 1. Fig. 4 is a trans verse section through the cross-shaft, showing the chain-tightener and associated parts. Fig. 5 represents a similar view, but with some 'of the "parts in a changed position." Fig. 6 is a detail of the supporting-arm; and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the worm and worm-rod support, the said worm, worm-rod, and worm-gear being shown in dotted lines.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a portion of the main frame of a harvester, B the main supporting and driving wheel, (shown in dotted lines,) and O the main driving sprocket-wheel as one piece with said main'wheel.

Dis the cross shaft, jo'urnaled in suitable bearings on the rear of the main frame, and d is one of such supporting-bearings.

A designates one of the main-wheel quadrants, and B the main-wheel axle, uponwhich loosely sleeves the main wheel B and the at- Serialllol149l450. (rt model.)

tached sprocket-wheel C. Eis the worm-gear,

secured to said main-Wheel axle B. and integral therewith is the pinion e, adaptedto mesh with the toothed segment of the main-wheel quadrant A 1 F is the worm, meshing with the worm-gear E and is'mounted upon the forward end of the rearWardly-extending rod f, which, with the worm thereon, journals in a support F, the pivotal center of which is coincident with the center of the main-wheel axle B. By this rod f the raising and lowering device is actuated and the chain-tightener is also controlled.

C is the small drive spro cket-wheel,secured 6 5 to the cross-shaft D, and O designates the sprocket-chain connecting it with the. driving sprocket-wheel O. I 'Since the foregoing are elements common to the ordinary type of harvester and present nothing novel in their construction or operation, further description thereof will not be given. I

" G is a ournal-box which affords a bearing for the grainward end of the cross-shaft D and is itself sustained in the support d, in which it is free to rotate. This journal-box is provided with a downwardly-extending -arm g, and to the free end of this arm is secured a stud-bolt g, on which journals the "chain-tighener roller g This roller 9 occupies a position in the plane of the chain 0 as may be understood by reference to Figs.

2 and 3, so that as the journal-box G is rotatedin its bearing (1 the said roller will bear against thechain, taking up the slack there; of and tightening it in the well-known manner. Projecting upwardly from the journal box is the lug g provided with an aperture therein for receiving the bolt gflwhich secures to said lug the arm H. This arm H'confor'ms 'on its inner end to the curvature of the journal-box G, which it partly surrounds, and is provided with an arcuate slot h, adapted to receive the bolt 9 and thereby permit-angu 5 lar adjustment of the chain-tightener arm relative to the said arm H. To prevent pos sible slipping between the said lug "and arm, their contacting surfaces might be corrugated, but are shown smooth. The upper I00 end of the arm II terminates in a laterallydisposed openingh, which receives and supports the rodf. Integral with the rodf is formed the shoulder f, serving as a stop to limit the forward movement of the said arm II. It is evident that thesame result would be accomplished should the adjustment be made by means of an adjustable collar on the rod f abutting the arm H instead of the adjustment between said arm II and the journal-box G with the fixed shoulder f on said rod. It is also evident that the arms 9 and H could be of a lever pivoted to the main frame independent of the cross-shaft or cross-shaft bearing. As the worm F is as one piece with the rod f, rotary motion imparted to the said rod by the crank f will operate to rotate the gear E and the attached pinion 6, thus cans-- ing the main-wheel quadrant and connected frame to be correspondingly raised or lowered in the usual way.

If it is desired to tighten the chain by taking up the slack therein, the bolt q is loosened, and the j ournal-box Gr, with the arm 9 and the chain-tightener roller g thereon, will be swung around until the said roller bears tightly against the chain, as shown in Fig. l. The arm H is caused to bear against the shoulder f in this adjustment, and the bolt g is again tightened. The stress of the driving-chain on the pulley g will tend to rotate the journal-box G in its bearing (1; but such movement is restrained by the arm II bearing against the shoulder f. The end thrust thus put upon this red is received and resisted by the worm-gear E and the worm-support F. Having tightened the chain by the above-described adjustment, it will remain at the same tension in the raising and lowering of the frame because of the following fact: Assuming that it is desired to lower the frame, the crank f is turned in the proper direction, and since the rear end of the rod f is upwardly inclined it follows that as the frame of the machine is dropped vertically the shoulder f on the said rod f will push rearwardly the arm II and correspondingly raise the roller-carrying arm g, thus causing the roller g to follow the retreating chain 0 From the above it is seen that through the rod f not only is the raising and lowering device actuated, but the chain-tightener is also controlled. The positions of the arms Hand 9 and the drive-chain C after the above described adjustment has been made are shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4.

hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a grain-harvesting machine, in combination a main wheel, a main-wheel axle, a main frame supported thereon and vertically adjustable relative thereto, main-wheel quadrants, quadrantengaging pinions secured to said main-wheel axle, a cross-shaft journaled in hearings on the main frame, a chain-tightener, the pivotal axis of whichis substantially coincident with that of the said cross-shaft, and means extending from said main-wheel axle to said chain-tightener for controlling the said chain tightener and for rotating said main-wheel axle, substantially as described.

2. In a grain-harvesting machine, in com bination a main frame, a main supportingwheel, a device for raising or lowering said main frame relative to said supportin g-wheel, an actuating-rodin connection with said raising and lowering device, and a chain-tightener pivotally mounted upon the frame of said harvester and controlled by the said actuating-rod, and a cross-shaft mounted upon the said main frame, the said chain-tightener having its pivotal bearing coincident with said cross-shaft, substantially as described.

3. In a grain-harvesting machine, in combination a main frame, a main supportingwheel, a chain tightener pivotally mounted upon the said main frame of the harvester, an arm with which the said chain tightener is ad justably related, a device for raising or lowering said main frame relative to said supporting-wheel, an actuating-rod in connection with said raising and lowering device, the said rod engaging the said arm and having rotative movement to actuate the said raising and lowering device and a rocking movement about the center of the said supporting-Wheel to actuate the chain-tightener substantially as described.

4-. I11 a grain-harvesting machine, in combination a main frame, a main supportingwheel, a device for raising or lowering said main frame relative to said supporting-wheel, said device having an actuating-rod in connection therewith, a cross-shaft, and a chaintightener pivotally mounted upon said main frame, the pivotal axis thereof being substan tially coincident with said cross shaft, said chain tightener provided with an arm with which it is adjust-ably related, the said arm adapted to engage the actuating-rod of said raising and lowering device and to be controlled thereby, substantially as described.

5. In a grain-harvesting machine, in combination a main frame, a main supportingwheel, a device for raising or lowering said main frame relative to said supporting-wheel, said device having an actuating rod in connection therewith, a rotatable journal box supported upon the said main frame, a crossshaft j ournaling therein, a roller-bearing arm integral with said journalbox, and an arm controlled by said actuating-rod and supported on said journalbox which is adjustable relative thereto, substantiallyas described.

6. In a grain-harvesting machine, in combination a main frame, a main supportingwheel, a device for raising or lowering said main frame relative to said supporting-wheel, an actuating-rod in connection with said raising and lowering device, a chain tightener consisting of a lever pivotally secured to the main frame of said harvester and having two IIO a definite position relative to the drivingehain, substantially as described.

JOHN F. STEWARD.

In presence of- I J. O. WARNES, T. H. ALFREDS, 

